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My new(ish) Lenovo PC is ticking. Should I return it?

It's me again and obviously there's some kind of electrical aura around me because not only did my new printer fall apart on me but my PC (bought new in January from Amazon) is acting strangely.

It's making ticking noises and occasionally freezing. Sometimes if I navigate away from a webpage Windows Media Player stops working. I have a hub type thing (the phone line is downstairs, the PC is upstairs), so I don't know if that is an issue. It's a Lenovo C205 (AMD E-350 Processor 4 gb)

The ticking isn't constant, it's about 3 times in 15 seconds or something. Prior to buying the computer I'd read techy types talking about all-in-one PCs being untrustworthy, because there isn't room for a suitably sized fan to cool the PC down (or whatever it does). However, I hate those tower things so I opted for the PC. A mistake?

I've read bits about those intermittent ticking noises being indicative of a failing hard drive. This concerns me (it's only 9 months old! and I haven't been hosting websites/downloading epic films or anything). What should I do? Send it back before the warranty period expires? What would you do?

The sound you describe does sound like a potential hard drive weakness. If it is beginning to play up, it could cause freezing. Amazon are great at replacing faulty kit, so I would back-up everything important and send them an email explaining the problem amd asking for a repair/replacement (they have the choice after this amount of time since you bought it, I believe).

I do online banking, do I send the PC back with the site still featured in 'Bookmarks'? Will somebody be able to access it and steal me millions? What about virus protection? Do I have to buy it twice, now? Not to mention Microsoft Office. Will they compensate me? What about my Windows Media Player (music) files?

I tried to back up my files once - to a USB key (the PC did say it was possible), I think I managed it, but now I get this message now and then:

“Windows cannot find the disk or network location where your backups are being saved”.

I think that after creating the backup (via the USB key) I specified a regular 'back up' time. Therefore, the PC couldn’t have run the arranged back up - because I didn't insert the key. Why didn't it tell me that you can't arrange a regular backup via a USB key? Or can you? Was this my carelessness? I don't have any external storage capability apart from the USB key. I don't understand why anyone would back up internally (ie on a certain disk drive) because if the PC gets blown up/nicked what's the purpose of placing all your eggs in one basket, if you know what I mean?

I would really appreciate a speedy response as I will have to send it back very soon!

By the way you could send me your bank details for safe keeping and I promise I will not steal your millions,well not all of them anyway.LOL

But on a serious note all your software that you bought can be downloaded again on any replacement PC just make sure you have the necessary activation numbers.. Copy any documents music films picture etc, by the way you really should have an external HDD with copies of your personal files, then restore the PC to factory settings.

Backing up to a memory stick is perfectly feasible, provided you leave the stick in the same USB port at the required times. The operating system will remember the precise location of the drive to which you first backed up, and will look for it each time.

As far as the ticking noise is concerned, it may well be indicative of a pending hard drive problem, so data backup is essential. Your software isn't such a problem, as Chronus says. Provided you have licence keys for downloaded applications you will usually be OK,although some software companies put a time limit on repeat downloads.

Your computer may simply be ticking as it heats or cools - does the noise happen at regular intervals? One way to check whether it's a hard drive issue is to close all running applications and simply let the computer rest. don't touch the mouse or keyboard, and sit there with a cup of coffee - just listen. The hard drive will spin down and park its read/write heads, and you should hear nothing. If you still hear the ticking noise it's less likely to be a drive problem. I say 'less likely' because the drive may be accessed by the operating system when you're doing nothing.

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